


Some in the Storm

by NavigationByAtlas



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst, Max (Camp Camp) Has Superpowers, Tags to be added, dadvid, haha!!! this is a rewrite, max and david are on the run
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2019-11-12 12:26:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18010880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NavigationByAtlas/pseuds/NavigationByAtlas
Summary: The long-awaited remake of He Needeth No Name, Only His Story.Max has a temper. True.Max likes to take charge. True.Max has been waking up in the forest. ...True.Max hates Camp Campbell. True...?





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [He Needeth No Name, Only His Story](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14875106) by [NavigationByAtlas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NavigationByAtlas/pseuds/NavigationByAtlas). 



> Finally, it is here! The remake of HN3 is in the works and chapter one is up!  
> I don't expect much to change for the first few chapters, but we'll get there.  
> I hope you enjoy!

It’s official: Max was screwed. The freaks who had him surrounded were inching closer, David was barely conscious in the corner, and Max wasn’t too keen on finding out why he was being attacked. He had a good enough guess already.

He panicked, his heart seeming to lurch higher into his throat with every step his attackers took. His eyes flitted between David and the ever-closer assailants. He had a plan-- more of an idea, really-- but the chance of hurting David was higher than he would’ve liked; not that he was terribly excited about the alternative, either. He met David’s half-lidded eyes and focused the concept of his “plan” in that direction. The man nodded ever-so-slightly, just enough.

Max bit his lip hard, praying to a God he hoped hadn’t forgotten him that he wouldn’t kill David. Just as fingertips brushed his arm, he closed his eyes and took a deep, steady breath. Electricity hummed beneath his skin. Hands gripped his arms, his clothes, his hair. Max’s eyes flew open, set in a hard glare. The electricity thrummed through his bones and a roar tore from his lips, not quite loud enough to deafen him to David’s cry.

“ _Max!”_

 

Max woke just as the sun peeked over the horizon. With a groan, the boy pushed himself off of the uncomfortable forest floor and to his feet, brushing debris from everywhere he could reach.  _If this keeps up, my back’s gonna be screwed by the time I’m thirty,_ he mused bitterly. This had to be the millionth time he’d woken up in the middle of the woods that summer! Okay, it was only the eleventh, but goddamn! Max was fairly certain the average kid’s high score for waking up in buttfuck-knows-where was a whopping  _zero._

With a sigh, Max trudged off in a random direction. If he was lucky, he’d make it back in time for another hour of sleep before David began screeching like a banshee to wake his campers. That gave Max an idea. If he decided to forego that extra hour, he could probably set up a pretty nice trap to keep them busy for a while and allow him a few precious hours more  _sleep_. Sure, he got  _some_ sleep while he was doing fuck-all unconscious in the woods, but he’s pretty sure that doesn’t count.

Plan in mind, Max sets out for camp.

 

Truthfully, Max hadn’t expected his plan to work out so well. It must have, in any case, because it was well past the usual waking hour of the camp and neither counselor was to be seen.  _Perfect._ Max had gotten about three extra hours of sleep, the coffee was yet to be drained by Gwen, and the other campers were too sleepy to be as obnoxious as usual. Max wasn’t sure anything could ruin his day.

Of course, the world just  _had_ to prove him wrong.

Up the annoyingly long driveway came an expensive-looking car and out of it stepped an expensive-looking man. Naturally, Max was the first to approach him, coffee in hand. The rest of Camp Campbell gathered behind him; drowsy, confused, and hoping for something interesting. Max never failed to deliver.

“Well, hello, children!” Said the expensive man. “Are there any grown-ups around I could talk to? I’ve got important, grown-up things to talk about.” Max glowered.

“How could you possibly when you sound like a toddler?” He griped. The man’s forced smile tightened.

“My apologies, young man. I didn’t realize I was speaking to such an intelligent group of young individuals. Now, about those adults?”

“You’re looking at about the closest approximation of one you’ll find here. The name’s Max,” said the boy, offering his hand for the expensive man to shake as he sipped his coffee. “What can I do for you?”

“Well, look at you. Quite the little businessman, aren’t you?” The man shook Max’s hand. “My name is Frederick Mason. You can call me Fred.”

Fred’s hand was just as pink and portly as the rest of him. He looked as though he’d had one too many one-last-beers and smelled of expensive cigars; the kind Max’s mother would get for his father when she had mad news. Upon shaking his hand, Max wanted nothing more than to hop into the lake and wash himself of Fred’s very presence. Instead, he asked the man his business.

“Well, you see, I’m lookin’ to buy this place,” Fred explained. “I’m thinkin’ of turning a profit with it-- make it a nice touristy spot with the lake and the trails, not to mention the volcano.” Max nodded along like he cared.

“Trying to make some profit off this shithole; I feel you. Here’s the thing, though, pal,” Max said, taking a long sip from his lukewarm coffee. “I can’t let you do that.”

 

When David and Gwen finally found their way back to camp, the two were seething. Gwen had yet to say anything that wasn’t woven into a string of curses nor dripping with malice and David’s face was red in his frustration. As the pair broke through the treeline, Gwen leaning heavily on David for support, the sight before them cut short any scolding on the tip of David’s tongue.

Even Gwen’s anger gave way to confusion at what she saw. A scowling ten-year-old hung from the pudgy fist of a fuming man in a tailored suit. The man was spitting curses at the boy who, to no one’s surprise, was none other than Max. Every few words, the man would jostle Max roughly. Unfortunately for Max, his little legs couldn’t quite reach the man no matter how hard he kicked.

“ _Excuse me, sir!_ ” Called David, setting Gwen down on a nearby stump. “May I ask why you’re laying your hands on my camper?” David approached the man with no regard for his stature, which was certainly many times larger than David’s. Fred grunted and shoved Max down, earning a small  _oof!_ from the boy. David’s scowl deepened.

“This little  _shit_ ,” began Fred, “had been playin’ mind games with me for hours! Thinkin’ he can tell me what to do, the nasty  _runt!_ ” As he spoke, he stalked toward David, who held his ground. It would’ve been admirable had David any hope of overpowering Fred.

“Well, that is certainly no excuse to attack a  _child!_ ” Said David. He began rambling off some spiel on childcare and violence, only to be stopped by a hard slap across the face. David stumbled back, his hand flying up to cup his jaw.

“You people had best quit telling me what to do,” Fred growled, gathering a handful of David’s shirt in his fist, not unlike he’d done to Max. The boy began to wonder if that was the only trick Fred knew. “I have half a mind to throw you lot to the wolves and build my damn factory right now!”

The way Fred threw David to the ground and the pitiful sound it caused should’ve been hilarious to Max. In fact, where the situation any different, Max’s only qualm would be that he hadn’t done it himself. But this time, David’s assailant was Frederick Mason, who had done the same to Max moments ago and threatened the camp as a whole. There happened to be some things he  _liked_ about the place,  _thank you very much._ So, it was no surprise to Max when he sprung to his feet and charged Fred head-on. Everyone else was, perhaps, a bit more shocked.

“  _How dare you?!_ ” Demanded Max from where he was scrambling up Fred’s shoulders and wailing on his head with small fists. “How dare you walk in here, attack the only person who  _actually gives a fuck_ , threaten the closest approximation to a  _home_ I’ve  _ever had,_ and then  _lie about it!_ ” Fred was indeed taken aback by the outburst, but not nearly so much as by the ferocity with which Max attacked.

It was then that Gwen decided that she should perhaps lead the other children away. Hobbling on her injured ankle, she herded the rest of the campers into the mess hall. David, on the other hand, wasn’t sure if he was more surprised by Max’s actions or his words. Before he had time to consider either, however, he realized that perhaps he should intervene. As he stood to break the two apart, he was stopped in his tracks by yet another odd occurrence.

Arcs of electricity began to surround Max, earning yelps from Fred whenever they grew too close. Sparks popped in his hair and between his fingers, currents looping around his legs and arms. In seconds, Max’s whole body was thrumming with energy, giving Fred quite the shock from where Max was perched on his shoulders.

Fred panicked, more afraid than angry anymore, and managed to toss Max away. The small boy landed hard on the dirt. He seemed undeterred, however, and pushed himself to his feet. From there, David could see the tears staining his red face and sizzling whenever one caught an arc of electricity as it fell. The boy bolted after the fleeing Frederick Mason and caught his middle, digging his fingers into the fabric of the tailored suit. When Fred attempted to pry his fingers off, a piercing scream ripped itself from Max’s throat and a large ring of electricity surrounded the two. There was a loud  _pop!_ and Fred crumpled to the ground.

Max stood shakily, stumbling as he turned back toward the horrified and awestruck David, and promptly collapsed.


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so fucking sorry i cant believe its been so fucking long since i updated sajfnksdb  
> For those of you still following this story, im trying to get back into writing so excuse me if its not the best ^^;  
> please tell me what you think in the comments. thank you for reading!!!!

Max woke slowly. The farther into wakefulness he was dragged, the more aches and pains he felt, leaving him bitterly trying to claw his way back into sleep. His efforts were abandoned, however, when he picked up on quiet muttering. He cracked his eyes just enough to see the wooden ceiling of the counselors’ cabin. _Lovely._ That put names to the voices he heard.

The longer Max’s eyes were open, the harder his head pounded. He slipped them shut, savoring the slight relief. Not that it did much; he still felt like someone took a jackhammer to his head. Repeatedly. And was _still doing it_. Max frowned, trying to push through the pain that filled his skull with static long enough to hear the hushed conversation across the room. He tried to open his eyes again, hoping to pick up on the conversation visually and only managed to let slip a pitiful, pained whine. The whispering stopped, and Max was almost glad for the quiet except that he still had no idea what the two had been discussing. 

“Max,” David breathed, as though he has almost surprised the boy had woken up. Max groaned openly now, the slightest sound approximating a spike through his skull. David winced, lowering his voice. “Sorry about that.” It wasn’t great, but it was better.

“What the fuck happened to me?” Max demanded, voice rough.

“You… don’t remember? The… the man? Electricity?” David seemed to hold his breath. Electricity… Max _might_ remember something about electricity. He remembered the man, the expensive-looking asshole who had… had _lied_ to Max, tried to ruin his _home_ -

“Max?” Gwen’s oddly soft voice interrupted his thoughts and he glared at her. She gestured vaguely at his hands. Small arcs of light flickered under his skin like a lightning storm through the clouds. It was then Max noticed the faint lines running up his arms; pale marks snaking across his skin, splintering and webbing. He might not have noticed. 

“... What the hell is going on?”

 

A short explanation later, Max was all caught up on the day’s events. Most of the day had passed and now the sun was threatening to dip below the horizon. Max frowned, staring down the lines on his skin as if he could glare them into non-existence. Gwen had left nearly an hour ago, doing her best to reassure and placate the rest of the campers. David sat with Max in pregnant silence, watching him with bated breath. 

“What now…?” Max didn’t look up, terrified with what he’d done. His cheeks were sore from how much he’d chewed on them, eyes stinging with tears he refused to let fall. He sniffled.

“Well, bud, now you’ve gotta make a choice,” David said carefully. Max sucked in a shaky breath. This was it. This was finally going to send David over the edge. Even a happy-go-lucky, ever-optimistic man like him would be over his head here. _This is where David finally gives up on me._  

David sighed. “You can stay here, hope you aren’t found, and try to go back to a normal life when the summer is over,” he began, then hesitated. 

“... Or?”

“Or… we go. Make a run for it. Try and settle down somewhere else.” Max chanced a glance at David. 

“What do you mean ‘we’?”

“Oh, well Gwen already said she can’t come, and someone needs to run the camp anyway, but… You and me, kiddo. We pack up and we go.” Fresh tears surge in Max’s eyes, threatening to spill. _Of_ _course,_ David could never pass by a child in need. _Of course,_ he’d drop everything on a dime. _Of course, he would._ Max sniffled again. 

“Where?”

 

As it happened, David was the kind of guy with _connections._ Max wasn’t sure how such an obnoxiously giddy person could have his fingers in so many pies and, honestly, he wasn’t sure he wanted to. The result was a place to stay. Somewhere they, _Max_ would be safe. Gift horses and whatnot, right?

So they left that night. Max tried not to seem upset but somewhere between hugging Neil and being swarmed by _literally everyone else_ (even David, who was _coming with him_ ), Max let a tear or two slip. Not that he would ever admit to it.


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oopsie i forgot to post the next chapter  
> so much for picking up the story again SKSK

Just as the first stars of the night were becoming visible, Max loaded his few belongings into the beat-up car alongside David’s. He offered his friends a final goodbye and hopped into the passenger seat of the dusty vehicle. He glared out the window while David finished his farewells, snot-nosed as he yanked Gwen into a tight embrace, much to her dismay. She peeled him off, patting his shoulder gently. When her gaze found its way to him, Max turned sharply away. He’d shown enough weakness for the night. 

David returned shortly after, planting himself in the driver’s seat stiffly with a deep inhale. As if flipping a switch, he turned to Max with a wide smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes. His cheeks were still damp, nose red and eyes puffy, but he did his best.

“Alright, Max. Let’s blow this popsicle stand,” he declared, voice wavering in his overenthusiasm. Max just nodded. 

 

About an hour into the trip, Max was going mad with boredom. The radio hardly worked anymore, far as they were from town, and all David had on CD was the godforsaken Farmer’s Almanac. Max would sooner off himself than live through that again. So, once the radio was more static than song, they opted for silence. Max slipped into an uneasy sleep, brows knitted and lips downturned. His mind felt fuzzy, filled with the same static as the radio had been. Every now in then, voices might push through in bits and pieces, never enough to understand. He woke up two hours later, greeted by more asphalt and forest. The sky was inky, dotted by specks of light. Not a soul outside of their car was seen. 

 

**_I҉ ҉h҉o҉p҉e҉ ҉h҉e҉’҉s҉ ҉a҉l҉r҉i҉g҉h҉t҉.҉_ **

 

….

…….

……….  _ what the fuck was that? _

 

Max frowned, whipping his head around to face David. He was spared a glace, concern evident in David’s expression. Max glared harder. Had he said something? Max shook his head at the confused look he received and slumped back into his seat, watching David in his peripheral.

 

**_D҉i҉d҉ ҉s҉o҉m҉e҉t҉h҉i҉n҉g҉ ҉h҉a҉p҉p҉e҉n҉?҉_ **

 

There! He heard it again, just barely understanding this time. If he focused, he could make it out against the soft static in his head. It sounded like… like David. But no, it couldn’t be; Max had been  _ watching! _ David hadn’t said a word in hours! Max forced himself to zero in on the voice, forcing the buzz of static to the edges of his attention. With another frown, he stared at David unblinkingly.

 

**_He’s acting strange._ **

 

Much clearer this time, Max could hear him. In fact, it sounded so much like to David was speaking, Max might’ve thought so if he hadn’t been watching so intently. Max focuses farther. The static from before had stopped, but as he zeroed in on the stream of words, he could hear a soft buzz underlying it. His head throbbed, a sharp pain startling a gasp from him.

“Max? Is everything alright?” David took a hand off the wheel to hover it hesitantly toward Max, eyes flicking back and forth between him and the road. The harder he tried to make out the soft buzzing, the more it hurt. A pang of nausea forced another gasp and Max managed a winded request to pull over just in time to empty his stomach into the grass.

At least it wasn’t magical props this time. 

When the pair finally arrived at the cabin, it was bigger than Max expected. Two stories, three bedrooms, one and a half bath. It was cozy if a bit dusty, made of wood that gave it a warm feel. All of Max’s possessions fit in his old, navy backpack, but David still sent him off to pick a room and “make himself at home” in the cabin. 

Leaving David to drag out old cleaning supplies and hang musty blankets on a clothesline, Max wandered the upper floor, poking through each room as he passed. He scanned each room before making a choice, deciding finally on the last room at the end of the hall. The window opened out onto the roof of the kitchen and Max was intrigued by the way he could most certainly jostle the screen off with a little effort. 

Plopping his bag on the bed that was just as dust-ridden as the rest of the cabin, Max wandered back downstairs. David had an array of cleaning supplies set out; a broom, multiple rags, dried-up disinfectant wipes, a sponge, a mop and bucket, and an old vacuum cleaner. All of it looked as though it’d seen better days. Not that it mattered; David wasn’t even looking at the setup, too lost in thought to notice even Max’s arrival. The voice from before echoed in Max’s head, whispered concerns as loud as a jet engine in his mind. 

He flinched before trying to make out what was said. Something about trust, safety,  _ passage _ . Max wasn’t sure what it meant, only that it was all in David’s familiar voice and that it bounced around his skull with wild abandon, uncaring that it was a trespasser on the most private of land.

Max massaged his temples and stepped farther into the room, successfully catching David’s attention. The voice in his mind quieted and Max was glad for it. Upon seeing him, David smiled brightly, eyes dark and sunken with fatigue. Still, he managed his unending optimism.

“Did you find a room you like, Max?” He asked, hands clasped together. Max nodded. David returned the gesture curtly. “Good. Then, let’s make this place livable, eh?”

David chuckled softly at the groan that followed. Whatever else they may be, kids would be kids.


End file.
